Red Thread Learning has three branches of seminar topics (with some overlap):

1)  Pre-adoption classes (the "Let's prepare" sessions)
2)  Classes of general interest to families with children (the "OK, what's next" sessions)
3)  Sessions designed to support families whose children are exhibiting challenging behavior (the "Oh, no -- we need help" sessions)

All families are invited to attend any classes that interest them.

The Pre-Adoption Series of classes is designed for families in the process of adopting a child.  These classes meet the core competency topics required by the State of Wisconsin.  If a parent attends the entire series, he or she will complete the 18 hours of pre-adoption training required by the state.  The pre-adoption classes include:

• Promoting Attachment
• Grief & Loss in Adoptive Families
• Positive Parenting
• Nature & Nurture (Factors That Affect Who Your Child Is Before Coming Home)
• Transracial Parenting
• Talking With Children About Adoption

Sometimes two or more of these classes are combined into a longer, single-day seminar. The material covered is the same, but it lets parents complete more hours in a single day rather than needing to come to multiple classes.  These seminars are:

Issues Affecting Child Development
  - first session:  "Nature & Nurture" class
  - second session:  "Promoting Attachment" class

Navigating Life As a Family
  - first session:  "Grief & Loss Issues"
  - second session: "Transracial Parenting"

In both cases, classes may be taken individually if you do not want to attend both.

 Topics of interest to families with older children include Brothers and Sisters; Adoption and the Schools; and Lifebooks for Adoptive and Foster Families. Also, three of the classes in the pre-adoption series -- Grief & Loss; Transracial Parenting; and Talking With Children -- are also often attended by families who have children at home.  These topics often become more relevant to families as the children grow older, especially as they reach school age.

I also facilitate a discussion about Mindfulness Strategies for Parents, where we gather and exchange tips about how to stay mindful, present, and sane during this wild ride of parenting.

Check out the Parenting Topics  page for more details about these classes.

The "Managing Challenging Behaviors" series is for parents whose children are exhibiting challenging behaviors – extreme meltdowns, tantrums, defiance, etc. For children with extreme behaviors, traditional parenting methods may fall short; in this class we talk about some “out of the box” strategies that are effective for children in all families. For more details, check out Parenting Topics .

I also facilitate a support group for parents who are struggling to manage extreme behaviors at home.  See Support Groups for more details about this group.

To see which classes are currently being offered, refer to the Class Schedule.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 608-345-8217 or lori@redthreadlearning.com.